3+ mo. old stopped eating, vet doesn't have answers

[Frizzled]

Hello all,

I'm very worried about my LO, Ulfberht. About two weeks ago he stopped eating, started having diarrhea, and lost a significant amount of weight. He was acting fairly normal until about a week ago. I took him to the only vet nearby that will look at reptiles, unfortunately there are no bearded dragon experts in the area.

Our vet treated him right away for coccidia and gave me Nuti-cal to feed to him. A week later, Ulfberht seemed to have gained a little weight back but was extremely lethargic, just laying around all day and sleeping during the day sometimes. If I held him he would perk up a bit and run around, but not for long. The vet saw him again and gave us Bytril (not quite sure what it is for). He also checked him for parasites and he seems clean. That was three days ago. Now, Ulfberht is sleeping almost all of the time. Again, if I hold him or put him down outside of his viv he will hold himself up on all fours and run around but not for more than a minute or two. I have actually seen him fall asleep more or less standing up twice now since the last visit to the vet.

When I got Ulfberht he was just over 5 inches long. He grew just under an inch a week until he reached 7 inches and stopped eating. I don't believe he has grown in the past two weeks. I have had him for two months.

Now for the details. Ulfberht has...
a 40 gal tank
a humidity gauge that reads between 20 and 30
a UVA/UVB lights that extends the length of the tank
a 100 watt basking light
two thermometers on opposite sides of the tank. One reads 110 the other 80
three levels to bask on, the highest will get up to 110 degrees
small crickets dusted with calcium and multivitamin powder and a salad available everyday
baths every two to three days
a hide, food dish, reptile carpet, adjustable vine, flat rocks, and a drift wood tree

I really want to help Ulfberht to feel better but I feel so helpless. Any help you can give us is much appreciated!

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....what type of UVB bulb do you have ? The wrong type may effect him adversely. Also, are you still giving him Nutrobal ? That will at least give him some nutrition. You can add a tiny bit of water to it every other day to be sure he's hydrated. It may be best to stop the Baytril, it's an antibiotic and can ruin his appetite and may cause more problems. He may perk up a bit after that. See if you can get some Oxbow Critical care supplement from your vet....it's the most recommended to help beardies that aren't eating.

 

[Frizzled]

Thank you for your reply!

My UVB bulb is a 36" Reptisun 10.0

I am still giving him the Nutical but will look into the Oxbow Critical Supplement. I will stop the Baytril if that is making things worse. Thanks again.

 

[Xeyla]

you can also try giving him some Benebac. Its a pro-biotic to help replenish the gut flora, which can be reduced when treated with antibacterial medication. The medication gets rid of all bacteria, including the good kind. A reduction in beneficial gut bacteria can decrease appetite.

 

[Claudiusx]

You have dial stick on thermometers?

If so your temps are likely way off.

Proper temperatures, along with proper lighting, are the key to appetite stimulation.

-Brandon